1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mobile devices, and more particularly but not exclusively to computing infrastructures for supporting operation of mobile devices.
2. Description of the Background Art
Mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have become commonplace and are now employed as replacements for portable (e.g., laptops and netbooks) and desktop (e.g., personal computers) computing devices. For example, smartphones are now employed not just to make voice calls over traditional mobile telephone networks, but also to browse the Internet, watch streamed video, and play online games. The number of mobile apps for mobile operating systems is growing each day.
Despite their increasing sophistication, mobile devices have limited computing resources relative to portable and desktop computing devices. Accordingly, mobile devices run mobile operating systems, such as the ANDROID and the iOS operating systems. An application program suitable for a mobile operating system is referred to as a “mobile app” or simply as an “app.” Apps may be obtained from an app store, such as the GOOGLE app store and AMAZON app store for ANDROID-based mobile devices and the APPLE app store for iOS-based mobile devices.
Virtual mobile infrastructures comprising one or more server computers that each hosts a plurality of mobile operating systems have been developed to allow users of mobile devices to access mobile apps that run on the server computers. That is, instead of executing a mobile app in a mobile device of a user, the mobile app is executed in a server computer of the virtual mobile infrastructure. The user employs his mobile device to interact remotely with the mobile app. Example virtual mobile infrastructures are disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 9,444,912, U.S. Pat. No. 9,225,799, U.S. Pat. No. 9,654,603, and U.S. Pat. No. 9,300,720, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Embodiments of the present invention facilitate scanning and processing of an image code, such as Quick Response (QR) code, in a virtual mobile infrastructure.